Universal Music has set a November 1 U.K. release date for the deluxe-edition reissues of the BLACK SABBATH albums "Seventh Star", "The Eternal Idol", "Live At Last" and "Past Lives".
After the departure of BLACK SABBATH's third vocalist Ian Gillan following the "Born Again" album (released in 1983) the band effectively split up and the remaining members embarked upon their own solo ventures. However, pressure from record companies and management would dictate the name BLACK SABBATH should forge-ahead and even though guitarist Tony Iommi would by now be the sole remaining original member, his unmistakable musicality and signature guitar sound would prove more than sufficient to keep the heart of BLACK SABBATH alive and beating deep into the 1980s and beyond.
"Seventh Star" (originally released in 1986) saw Iommi recruiting the skills of Dave "The Beast" Spitz and drummer Eric Singer (later of KISS) and for the first time the position of a keyboardist became a visible credit and long-serving back-room operator Geoff Nicholls was finally brought to the foreground as an official member. However, it would be the position of lead vocalist that would have the greatest impact upon the new SABBATH sound and the appointment of ex-TRAPEZE and DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes set interest and expectations high. "Seventh Star" would be somewhat of a departure from what was expected from the BLACK SABBATH name, and the songs on "Seventh Star" are more blues inclined and in the case of the single release, "No Stranger To Love", an altogether more AOR- and radio-friendly breeze is adopted.
This remastered deluxe expanded edition of the album adds the U.S. remix of the "No Stranger To Love" single and also for the very first time on CD, a live performance from London's Hammersmith Odeon in June '86 which features then-unknown American singer Ray Gillen who was brought-in to complete the tour following the departure of Glenn Hughes due to illness.
"The Eternal Idol" (BLACK SABBATH's thirteenth studio album released in 1987) was an altogether harder-sounding record and brought back an "edge" that had been missing from "Seventh Star". Although the album was originally recorded with unknown American singer Ray Gillen, by the time it came to the album release Tony Martin had joined the band and subsequently replaced all the vocal work for the final album.
"The Eternal Idol" remastered deluxe expanded edition adds two single B-sides from "The Shining" — "Black Moon" and "Some Kind Of Woman" — while the second disc brings to CD for the very first time the complete album session originally recorded by the late Ray Gillen.
"Seventh Star" remastered deluxe expanded edition:
Disc One (Original Album):
01. In For The Kill
02. No Stranger To Love
03. Turn To Stone
04. Sphinx (The Guardian)
05. Seventh Star
06. Danger Zone
07. Heart Like A Wheel
08. Angry Heart
09. In Memory...
Bonus Tracks:
10. No Stranger To Love (single remix)
Disc Two (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London, England - June 2, 1986):
01. Mob Rules
02. Danger Zone
03. War Pigs
04. Seventh Star
05. Die Young
06. Black Sabbath
07. N.I.B.
08. Neon Knights
09. Paranoid
"The Eternal Idol" remastered deluxe expanded edition:
Disc One (Original Album):
01. The Shining
02. Ancient Warrior
03. Hard Life To Love
04. Glory Ride
05. Born To Lose
06. Nightmare
07. Scarlet Pimpernel
08. Lost Forever
09. Eternal Idol
Bonus Tracks:
10. Black Moon (single B-side)
11. Some Kind Of Woman (single B-side)
Disc Two ("The Eternal Idol" – Ray Gillen Session):
01. Glory Ride
02. Born To Lose
03. Lost Forever
04. Eternal Idol
05. The Shining
06. Hard Life To Love
07. Nightmare
08. Ancient Warrior
Although controversial in nature due to being released without permission or sanction by the band at the time, "Live At Last" (originally released in July 1980), was regardless, a landmark release for BLACK SABBATH, it being their first proper live album to feature Ozzy Osbourne on vocals (despite the fact that he had parted company with the band two years earlier). Reaching Top 5 in the U.K. chart, the tracks were recorded on the "Vol. 4" tour some seven years prior in 1973 and specifically from shows performed in Manchester and London. From the opening salvo of "Tomorrow's Dream" through "Sweet Leaf", "Killing Yourself To Live" and "Snowblind", right up to the finale of "War Pigs", the mammoth "Wicked World" (with snippets of "Into The Void" and "Supernaut") and the inevitable closer, "Paranoid", this is the original BLACK SABBATH lineup in ferocious form — and when it's this good, there was no-one better!
Captured between 1970 and 1975, the recordings on "Past Lives" show a band moving along the fast track like a runaway train. Opening disc one, with "Tomorrow's Dream", this live collection is both bombastic and unrelenting. In some respects, BLACK SABBATH classics like "Sweet Leaf", "Children Of The Grave", "War Pigs" and "Paranoid" sound even more haunting and powerful on this set because of the transcendent live energy that pervades these songs. Bill Ward has occasionally referred to a "fifth member" joining them on stage, a non-literal suggestion denoting the sheer power and energy of the four Sabs on stage together. Tracks 1-5 were recorded at the Hard Rock in Manchester on March 11, 1973 while tracks 6-9 were recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London on March 16, 1973. Disc two expands the more familiar and available performances on disc one, with further compelling live versions of tracks recorded in Paris at the Olympia Theatre in December 1970
and Asbury Park Convention Hall, New Jersey during August of 1975
"Live At Last" remastered deluxe edition:
01. Tomorrow's Dream
02. Sweet Leaf
03. Killing Yourself To Live
04. Cornucopia
05. Snowblind
06. Children Of The Grave
07. War Pigs
08. Wicked World
09. Paranoid
"Past Lives" remastered deluxe expanded edition:
Disc One:
01. Tomorrow's Dream
02. Sweet Leaf
03. Killing Yourself To Live
04. Cornucopia
05. Snowblind
06. Children of the Grave
07. War Pigs
08. Wicked World
09. Paranoid
Disc Two:
01. Hand of Doom
02. Hole in the Sky
03. Symptom of the Universe
04. Megalomania
05. Iron Man
06. Black Sabbath
07. N.I.B.
08. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
09. Fairies Wear Boots
On September 18th, OZZFest hits The UK with a one-off date at London's O2 Arena. Doors open at 2:30pm. The official set times are as follows:
Main Stage
OZZY OSBOURNE - 9pm – 10:45pm
KORN - 7:30pm – 8:30pm
MURDERDOLLS - 6:15pm – 7pm
STEEL PANTHER - 5pm - 5:45pm
SKINDRED - 3:45pm – 4:30pm
Jager Stage
PARADISE LOST - 7:30pm – 8:30pm
BLACK SPIDERS - 6:15pm – 6:45pm
REVOKER - 5pm – 5:30pm
JETTBLACK - 4pm – 4:30pm
Michael Deeds of IdahoStatesman.com recently conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD's Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On the major profile Rolling Stone magazine did on him in late 2009:
Lemmy: "It was quite funny, because I brought (the journalist) around to my house, which looks like a shrine to Nazism. But it's just my collection. I mean, you can't put it all in the cupboard; it won't fit.
"I only collect the stuff. I didn't collect the ideas."
On legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, who died from stomach cancer in May:
Lemmy: "Yeah, that's rough. I mean, apart from him being a great friend of mine, he now leaves me being the oldest. Because he was older than me by about six months."
DISTURBED frontman David Draiman had strong words for rock musicians who collect Nazi memorabilia in a recent interview with Revolver magazine. When asked about artists such as Lemmy Kilmister and SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman who collect Nazi artifacts, Draiman said, "That's super-duper taboo and offensive to me. I don't understand the fascination. It's the most provocative imagery that you can brandish, and that's why people utilize it. And if that's their goal, I guess they're achieving it."
When told that Kilmister, who has been known to wear Iron Crosses and hats from the German air force, defends himself by saying he's just collecting artifacts of war history, Draiman replied, "I don't give a fuck who you are. If you're going to brandish Nazi symbolism, I'm going to have a problem with you because I don't understand how anybody could think it's OK to wear something on their body that symbolizes the annihilation and genocide of my people. I'm not OK with that and there is no excuse and there is no explanation."
MOTÖRHEAD recently completed recording its new album for an early 2011 release. The forthcoming CD will be the follow-up to "Motörizer", which sold a little more than 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Motörizer" was recorded in part (drums only) at FOO FIGHTERS frontman/ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California with producer Cameron Webb, who also worked on "Kiss of Death" and 2004's "Inferno".
Amy Sciarretto of AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski — directors/producers of "Lemmy", the long-awaited documentary examining the life and career of MOTÖRHEAD frontman and rock icon Lemmy Kilmister. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Noisecreep: What is the status of the "Lemmy" documentary now?
Wes: We've just emerged from a 32-day stint at a post house in Midtown Manhattan, where we mixed the film and a bunch of the bonus material in 5.1 Surround Sound, and cut the killer crop of extras, which includes plenty of featurettes and live footage — Lemmy's extended jam with METALLICA in Nashville and some "Borat"-style pranks we filmed with MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell. Just great, great stuff. People are gonna love it! This stuff is only going to be available on the DVD. We wanted to give people every possible reason we could to actually buy the physical product. You kind of have to, in this day and age.
Greg: We've got two hours of amazing movie and four hours of amazing bonus material, so it feels like all our time and effort has paid off. After three and a half years it's, time to take a nap.
Noisecreep: What is the one most surprising things you learned about Lemmy while doing the doc?
Wes: For one, I didn't realize how big of a BEATLES fan he was. He saw them at the Cavern Club — and even saw John Lennon deck a heckler there, I think. The first two weeks we were on the road with MOTÖRHEAD, Lemmy was listening to George Harrison's greatest hits before gigs, which is pretty awesome. I'd be sitting in his dressing room listening to "My Sweet Lord" and then 10 minutes later, he was pummeling Glasgow or Sheffield with "Dr. Rock". There are a lot of complexities to Lem as a person, as a man, that you only really pick up on from knowing him and his circle for a few years. From things he's said time to time, I can tell it kind of burns him that MOTÖRHEAD doesn't get the respect that they deserve. When the band was recording the super-underrated "Motörizer", their last studio album, I brought in a music magazine one day to show him this article someone had written about the fact that we were making this movie, and he said something about
it being the first time the band had been in that mag for like 30 years. Not sure if that's true — and I don't want to mention the magazine — but I think sometimes it feels that way to him, that they're sort of the Rodney Dangerfield of rock. But when I look around, especially when I peer out at a packed house in Russia or London, it sure doesn't feel that way to me. For anyone who has a low opinion of MOTÖRHEAD, I think our movie will change that. Besides, anyone who doesn't like MOTÖRHEAD, well, they kinda suck, don't they? I mean, come on? Would you really want to have a beer with that person anyway?
Greg: I was surprised that he yelled at me for being drunk. We were in Las Vegas and came back to the hotel casino after a long night of drinking and found Lemmy working one of the slot machines. I said "Hey Lem." And he said, "Ahh, get away from me. You guys are drunk." I belly laughed all the way back to my room, because I got yelled at by Lemmy for drinking!
DANKO JONES has officially announced the autumn leg of their 2010 concert tour featuring dates thoughout Europe supporting OZZY OSBOURNE, KORN, GUNS N' ROSES (marking the fourth time this year that the international rockers will be touring with Guns N' Roses) with a special stop to kick-off the NHL's 2010-2011 season performing at the NHL Premiere game in Stockholm.
Following, the band will headline a run of 30+ dates through November making stops throughout the Benelux, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain and the UK, scheduled to return to the US later this winter for a series of shows to be announced later this year.
Danko Jones' latest single, 'Full of Regret', off the band's album Below The Belt (Bad Taste Records/Caroline) is currently featured on the new NHL 2011 and NHL Slapshot video games (EA Sports), which includes some of music's coolest and heaviest hitting songs. The game soundtrack is rounded out by more than 15 songs from artists including BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE BLACK KEYS, PANTERA and MEGADETH.
Obvious huge fans of the sport, Danko Jones are slated perform at one of the world's biggest sporting events, the NHL's 2010-2011 season opening NHL Premiere game at Globe Arena in Stockholm on October 9th – an international event televised to more than 400 million homes across the globe.
The band's latest venture, a highly-stylized, film-like music video noir for the song 'Full Of Regret', described as "one-part 'Sabotage,' one-part Guy Ritchie, one-part Quentin Tarantino," stars Elijah Wood and Selma Blair with featured guest appearances by Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD) and Mike Watt (MINUTEMEN, FIREHOSE, STOOGES). Shot in downtown Los Angeles, the video portrays Lemmy as a mob boss who hires hit men Elijah Wood and Selma Blair to take out the members of the band. Mike Watt plays the narrator as the action-packed story continues to unfold. View the entire video below.
Danko Jones tour dates:
September
19 - Hard Club - Porto, Portugal
20 - Bercy Stadium - Paris, France (with Ozzy Osbourne and Korn)
21 - Romexpo - Bucharest, Romania (with Guns N' Roses)
23 - Arena - Belgrade, Serbia (with Guns N' Roses)
24 - Arena - Zagreb, Croatia (with Guns N' Roses)
27 - O2 - Prague, Czech Republic (with Guns N' Roses)
October (* with YOUNG GUNS)
7 - Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland
8 - Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland
9 - Globe Arena - Stockholm, Sweden (NHL Premiere)
9 - Debaser Medis - Stockholm, Sweden *
12 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway *
13 - Tradgarn - Goteborg, Sweden *
14 - Kulturbolaget - Malmo, Sweden *
15 - Lilla Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark *
16 - Postbahnhof - Berlin, Germany *
17 - Docks - Hamburg, Germany *
19 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany *
20 - Hirsch - Nurnberg, Germany *
21 - Arena - Wien, Germany *
22 - Club Vaudeville - Lindau, Germany *
23 - Rote Fabrik - Zurich, Germany *
24 - Tunel - Milan, Italy *
29 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt, Germany *
30 - Visions Fest - Dortmund, Germany *
31 - Le Transbordeur - Lyon, France *
November (* with Young Guns)
1 - Sala Assaig - Palma, Spain
3 - Sala Heineken - Madrid, Spain *
4 - Bikini - Barcelona, Spain *
5 - Le Phare - Toulouse, France *
6 - Elyse Montmartre - Paris, France *
7 - La Laiterie - Strasbourg, France *
9 - Garage - Saarbrucken, Germany *
10 - Live Music Hall - Koln, Germany *
12 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands *
13 - Effanaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands *
14 - Trix - Antwerp, Belgium *
15 - Rockhal Club - Luxembourg, Luxembourg *
16 - Garage - London, England
Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X) will release the third ALLEN / LANDE collaborative album on November 5 via Frontiers Records. Entitled "The Showdown", the CD was mixed by Achim Köhler (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER, SILENT FORCE) and once again features material written by Swedish guitar sensation Magnus Karlsson (PRIMAL FEAR, STARBREAKER, LAST TRIBE).
According to a press release, "The Showdown" "shows again that the musical direction will be epic, grandiose and very melodic hard-rocking music. The cover art was designed specifically for the project once again by the amazing Rodney Matthews."
Since 1995, Russell Allen has been the singer of the American prog-metal band SYMPHONY X, which has released seven studio albums and one live CD. MASTERPLAN vocalist Jorn Lande has a vocal capability that is world-class, distinctive, rich and spanning a large range. As such, the man is in high demand since he has guested or sung for such bands as MILLENIUM, ARK, THE SNAKES and many others. He is also a well-known solo artist with several albums under his belt, beginning with his 1999 debut, "Starfire".
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According to Express & Star, legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE) offered to stage a concert to help raise funds for crisis-hit U.K. music club JB's.
Hughes told how the club in Castle Hill, Dudley, helped launch his career — and pledged the support of his new supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION.
"This beautiful club was the birthplace for me, and where I started out in Britain," he said.
"I would do anything to help, and the group will help in any way it can, simply because of the heritage it holds for me and us as a group. If they need someone to play there and raise awareness, you can count me in to do that."
Amy Kelly of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: I'd like to take a look at the latest album, "World Painted Blood". How would you describe the songwriting process for that record versus, for example, "Reign In Blood" or "South Of Heaven"?
Lombardo: There were a lot of different variables and things that went on. My mindset was very, very different for this record than any of the others. I was going through some big changes. The songwriting for this one, half of it we did in a rehearsal room. Then we had to write five or six songs in the studio. That was a challenge. We had our producer at rehearsal every day that we rehearsed. He was really grasping what the band sounded like in a small room instead of doing big shows. He was able to capture that sound and everything on this record. That was a change, in that he captured what was SLAYER. For the drum set, I removed two of my toms. It gave me a different approach to my kit and the way I did drum rolls.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Was that decision made before you went into the studio or did it happen through trial and error?
Lombardo: That was purposely done. This percussionist — or a guy who works for a percussion company — asked me if I changed the configuration of my kit. He said a lot of jazz drummers were doing it. It kind of stuck in the back of my mind. When the guys called and said we were going to rehearse, I told my drum tech to remove two of my toms. It was the greatest thing I ever did.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Not so many years back, SLAYER might be considered too dangerous to be an act on a late-night talk show. But only recently you had the opportunity to perform on "Jimmy Fallon". What was that like?
Lombardo: I think it's great. I'm 45 and the other guys are 46 and Tom's [Araya, bass/vocals] 49. Jimmy Fallon requested us to do "Dead Skin Mask"! Those guys — and me also — grew up listening to SLAYER. We all grew up around the same time. We all have different jobs now. It kind of makes sense. It's very cool to be on a late-night talk show and be requested by the host.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: The industry has become somewhat of a machine these days. What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Lombardo: To answer that, I have to tell you what I did on the time off that I had when Tom had to go into surgery and those shows were postponed. I was thinking, "What am I going to do? What am I going to occupy myself with during this time off?" So I got myself an old band started again that I had in the late '90s, early 2000s. I got in touch with the guys, we got together, and we started playing around L.A. I was playing in front of 20 people. So many weeks or months later, I was playing in front of a crowd of 81,000. So here's my advice. It doesn't matter what you play or who you play in front of in terms of the amount of people. It's the enjoyment of playing. You don't need to reach a certain status that you expect yourself to be. Just play. There's nothing wrong with that.
In a brand new interview with the Miami New Times, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian was asked about a recent quote from METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich suggesting that more "Big Four" shows, featuring METALLICA along with SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH, could happen in 2011 or 2012.
"I don't know, I just know what I read!" Ian answered. "Of course we're down, so I hope to keep repeating that publicly so that a bunch of people put out positive thought bullets and it finally happens."
When asked if ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna has rejoined the band for the longer term following the completion of the group's current tour, Ian replied, "I don't know. I think if I've learned anything is that I'm just gonna go with it. Joey's kicking ass, the shows in Europe were great, and that's about as far as I can go with answering that question. I don't know what's gonna happen next week."
Regarding whether Belladonna will show up for the "American Carnage" tour with MEGADETH and SLAYER — which kicks off September 24 in Dallas, Texas — Ian said, "What if the world explodes? I don't know. I'm only half-joking. I've been through so much crap in my years in this band, you just never know what's going to happen ever, ever! So why make a public statement about something where you really don't know if you're telling the truth or not when you answer the question?"
"I know I will be in Dallas for the first show," he continued, "but I can't really thruthfully say if anyone else will be. I mean, of course they will be, but then again, you never know, right? I can only answer for myself."
Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL will release a new concert DVD, "Madness In Manila: Shadows Fall Live In The Philippines 2009", in October via Everblack Industries/Ferret Music. The set will include over 60 minutes of footage that was shot on April 30, 2009 at the Pulp Summer Slam in Manila, Philippines as well as a live audio CD.
Check out the cover artwork below.
SHADOWS FALL's latest album, "Retribution", came out on September 15, 2009. The CD sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort was made available via Everblack Industries, the label SHADOWS FALL created in conjunction with Warner Music Group's ILG, Ferret Music and ChannelZERO Entertainment.
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GAMMA RAY and CRIPPER have been confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which is set to sail from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on January 24, 2011 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will appear at the event.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGENT STEEL
AMON AMARTH
DEATH ANGEL
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EXODUS
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
FORBIDDEN
ICED EARTH
KORPIKLAANI
MARDUK
MOONSPELL
OBITUARY
RAGE
RAVEN
SAXON
SODOM
SONATA ARCTICA
SWASHBUCKLE
TESTAMENT
TROUBLE
TÝR
ULI JON ROTH
UNLEASHED
WITCHBURNER
SAXON will play two unique shows. One night they will perform the "Wheels Of Steel" LP in its entirety and on a different night, for the second show, they will play "Strong Arm Of The Law" from start to finish.
70000 Tons Of Metal will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean "Majesty of the Seas" from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.
Make no mistake, 70000 Tons Of Metal is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all-ship heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass and you might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done!
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated drinks at the on-board restaurants and 24-hour room service!
For more information, go to www.70000tons.com.
U.K. thrashers SWORN AMONGST and Norway's SVÖLK have been confirmed as the support acts for ANNIHILATOR on the Canadian metallers' upcoming "Total Annihilation 2010 European Tour".
Commented ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters: "[It's] very cool to bring out [SWORN AMONGST], a younger thrash band that knows how thrash is done and can deliver this kind of metal to the fans. Heavy stuff that brings me back to early SLAYER, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, KREATOR and some originality, thrown in for good measure! Killer riffing and powerful vocals.
"SVÖLK caught my eye (and ears) after a friend of mine suggested I check out this band that 'sounds a bit like a cross between DANZIG, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mixed with some kick-ass hard rock and heavy metal.' I gave them a listen and liked it. Perfect package for the ANNIHILATOR tour now with hard rock, heavy metal, thrash metal and metal all being represented one bill!
"It's gonna be a kick-ass tour!"
"Total Annihilation 2010 European Tour" dates:
Oct. 05 - Paris, France - [to be announced]
Oct. 06 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
Oct. 07 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
Oct. 08 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier
Oct. 10 - Uden, Netherlands - Pul
Oct. 11 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batchkapp
Oct. 12 - Koln, Germany - Stollwerk
Oct. 14 - Berlin, Germany - C-Club
Oct. 15 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
Oct. 16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - The Rock
Oct. 18 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
Oct. 19 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
Oct. 20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben
Oct. 22 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
Oct. 23 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tapper Club
Oct. 24 - Riga, Latvia - Black Friday
Oct. 26 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
Oct. 27 - Krakow, Poland - Loch Ness
Oct. 28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Retro Music Hall
Oct. 30 - Woergl, Austria - Komma
Nov. 01 - Prattein, Switzerland - Z7
Nov. 02 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
Nov. 03 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
Nov. 05 - Barcelona, Spain – Mephisto
Nov. 06 - Madrid, Spain – Sala Live
Nov. 07 - Bilbao, Spain - Kafe Antzoki
Nov. 10 - Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms
Nov. 11 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
Nov. 12 - Newcastle, England - Academy 2
Nov. 14 - Glasgow, Scotland - Garage
Nov. 15 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
Nov. 17 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
Nov. 18 - Bristol, England - Academy 2
Nov. 19 - Birmingham, England - Academy 2
Nov. 20 - London, England - Islington Academy
Note: SVÖLK will not be on the bill for the first 10 shows but will start the tour in Oslo, Norway and will play all dates until the last concert in London, England.
Madrid, Spain-based power metallers DARK MOOR have set "Ancestral Romance" as the title of their eighth album, due in November.The follow-up to 2009's "Autumnal" was recorded at New Sin Studios in Italy with producer Luigi Stefanini and features cover artwork (see below) by artist Samuel Araya (CRADLE OF FILTH, ELVENKING).
"Ancestral Romance" track listing:
01. Gadir
02. Love From The Stone
03. Alaric De Marnac
04. Mio Cid
05. Just Rock
06. Tilt At Windmills
07. Canción Del Pirata
08. Ritual Fire Dance
09. Ah! Wretched Me
10. A Music In My Soul
The new album features a special guest appearance by soprano singer Berenice Musa.
"Autumnal" was recorded in part at New Sin and featured a guest appearance by soprano Itea Benedicto (NIOBETH).
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"What Lies Beneath", the sophomore solo album from former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen, has registered the following first-week chart positions:
Finland: #14 (first week), #7 (second week)
Czech Republic: #6
Switzerland: #11
Hungary: #30
Netherlands: #45
Belgium (Flanders): #99
Belgium (Wallonia): #42
UK: #115
In other news, Tarja's solo debut, "My Winter Storm", has now been certified platinum in Russia for sales in excess of 20,000 copies.
"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14 via The End Records. The CD's first single, "Falling Awake" (featuring Jason Hook from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH), was released August 17 as a limited-edition seven-inch single through The Omega Order and available August 24 at all digital outlets . The track is backed with "The Good Die Young" — a song from the SCORPIONS' most recent album that features Tarja's vocals.
"What Lies Beneath" two-CD deluxe edition track listing:
Disc 1:
01. Anteroom Of Death (feat. Van Canto)
02. Until My Last Breath
03. Dark Star (feat. Phil Labonte)
04. Underneath
05. Little Lies
06. Rivers Of Lust
07. In For A Kill
08. Montañas de Silencio (exclusive U.S. track)
09. Falling Awake (feat. Joe Satriani)
10. The Archive Of Lost Dreams
11. Crimson Deep
Disc 2:
01. We Are
02. Naiad
03. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE cover)
Featuring U.S.-exclusive artwork and a bonus track, "What Lies Beneath" was recorded and produced by Tarja and mixed by Tim Palmer (PEARL JAM, THE CURE, ROBERT PLANT), Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and Slamm Andrews (scores of "Angels & Demon", "Pirates of The Caribbean", "Gladiator"). Special guests on ther CD include Phil Labonte (ALL THAT REMAINS), Joe Satriani, Jason Hook (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH), Will Calhoun (LIVING COLOUR), Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and Choir and more.
Ultimate-Guitar.com's Joe Matera recently conducted an intervie with guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: "Abrahadabra" is the ninth studio album by the group, so does it get easier making albums now that you've got nine under your belt?
Silenoz: Actually, to be honest, this new album was one of the easiest we have done so far. It was, of course, hard work as usual, but I think we were much more together on this album. And there were a lot more details involved with this one. It is the most complete effort we've ever done.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: When it came to the songwriting, how did the material come together?
Silenoz: The songwriting process went really, really smooth, but we don't follow any set formula. The closest thing we have to any formula is what we've always done, which is, we meet up with ideas, we exchange them and then take it from there. I guess now, after so many years of making music, you do become more critical of everything so the process is stretched out a little bit longer.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: And for this album, it took eleven months.
Silenoz: Yeah, if you include the writing, the pre-production and the recording, that is correct. Once we began the recording process in earnest, though, it didn't really take too long. But the difference between recording this album compared to the last one is that we took it in turns in different studios and with different engineers. Then when everything was recorded, we took it to Andy Sneap in Derbyshire [England] and got it mixed.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Over 101 musicians overall contributed to the making of this album, that's quite an epic task?
Silenoz: Yeah, and most of those are from the orchestra and the choir. All that stuff was recorded and done in three days. When we make demos, we make them of every song. So we have everything ready, everything from the keyboard arrangements to the vocals and stuff. We had a little bit of assistance from our good friend Gaute Storaas who has helped us in the past, with scoring the orchestra notes and stuff. But this time, he was more involved from the very beginning of the songwriting process and I think that made it all a lot easier too.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: "Abrahadabra" is loosely translated as "I will create as I speak", which was created by Aleister Crowley in his most well-known work, "Liber AL vel Legis", which is better known by the title of "The Book of the Law".
Silenoz: We've always been interested in the occult ever since we were kids, way before we started in bands. As a fourteen, fifteen, sixteen year old kid, you are kind of more fascinated by the guy than anything else because at that point in your life, you don't really understand or comprehend some of his works. As time goes by though, you really feel a lot closer to his words. He was really the only real magician that paved the way for the occult in the Western world but he was just as much an explorer too. He was someone that really took it to the extreme which in some ways, is all about evolution. We feel really close to that way of behaving, for lack of a better word. For this album, we also touched upon the ideas of rebirth and reincarnation and that was also something he was obsessed heavily with. We feel we kind of renew ourselves every time we make a new album but with this album, in particular, it feels like something more. We share a lot of
symbolism with Crowley there.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: What is the biggest misconception that many people have when it comes to the band?
Silenoz: That, in general, quite a lot of people look at us as arrogant rock stars or whatever. Yet it's way more than that, it is because we're shy, we're from Scandinavia and we like quietness around us. We're laid-back guys. If you compare us to certain bands from America as just an example, they have a different mentality. So that's why it might come across that we seem arrogant but we're definitely not. Another misconception would be that we are all millionaires. Absolutely not true.
Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have been confirmed bands for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 4-6, 2011 in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Also scheduled to appear are AIRBOURNE, BLIND GUARDIAN, APOCALYPTICA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and AVANTASIA.
Wacken Open Air was first held in 1990 as a small event for local German bands. By 1998 the event had become the major festival on the European metal calendar and has included over 70 bands from all over Europe, North America and Australia.
Wacken Open Air is usually held at the beginning of August and lasts three days, during which the festival-goers camp on several large camping grounds surrounding the actual festival area. The 70 or more bands perform across four separate stages over the course of the event.
The 2009 edition of Wacken Open Air set a sales record; it sold out on December 30, 2008. All 70,000 tickets were sold over 200 days before the start of the festival.
Wacken Open Air, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, was honored with a Live Entertainment Award in 2008 in the "Festival Of The Year" category. This award recognizes distinguished achievements in live entertainment and is given out by Live Entertainment Award (LEA) committee.
Progressive/psychedelic Norwegian black metal band ENSLAVED will soon be returning to the western hemisphere as direct support for fellow countrymen DIMMU BORGIR. The 32-date "Darkness Reborn World Tour" across the U.S. and Canada launches on Friday, November 5 in Worcester, Massachusetts and ends Tuesday, December 14 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The tour also includes BLOOD RED THRONE and DAWN OF ASHES.
Nuclear Blast caught up with rhythm guitarist/songwriter Ivar Bjørnson and bassist/vocalist Grutle Kjellson to ask a few questions about the upcoming trek:
Q: There are three Norwegian bands on one North American bill. Why does this tour make so much sense?
Ivar Bjørnson: "Norway has always offered a varied selection of extreme metal bands — something this bill clearly showcases! There seems to be a two-way affinity between Norwegian musicians and North American listeners, and we're sure this tour will solidify this bond. We've known DIMMU since the early days and are sure we'll have a blast on the road with these guys!"
Q: Will ENSLAVED be playing any new North American markets that you haven't played in before?
Grutle Kjellson: "We will be playing in some areas that we've never been before, and we are particularly looking forward to perform in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver in Canada. We've only been playing in Ontario and Quebec before, and we always meet some fans that travel a long way from other provinces in Canada when we are playing in Toronto and Montréal. It will be nice to travel around a little bit more in Canada, too — plus the metalheads there are really nuts!! Heh, heh. Also, we have never been to Las Vegas and I'm looking forward to see [lead guitarist] Ice [Dale] go apeshit with gambling."
Q: Given that you'll be supporting your new album, "Axioma Ethica Odini", what sort of process will the band undertake to come up with a set list? Will it be democratic, totalitarian, via dictatorship, or a coupe?
Ivar Bjørnson: "ENSLAVED has a unique form of internal government; we call it 'contributocracy.' The more you know about something (example: playing drums, singing, writing lyrics), the more your vote counts in questions directly relating to your field of 'expertise.' This is also adjusted by the good old 'effort' measurement: If you take time off from your hobbies / social life and work hard with preparing a tour, you will have more to say in the decisions made for that tour. We have a few guys in the band that really know a lot about the live-format (particularly Ice Dale and Grutle) from their life-long interest in live albums, videos, and going to shows, so perhaps they have a little more leverage in our discussions; we know they know what they're talking about. Then there's the labor of planning and execution; that's where my vote gets fattened up, heh heh."
Q: You'll be touring during the holidays. Any requests from family members or friends for U.S. or Canadian souvenirs?
Grutle Kjellson: "Maybe I'll buy my father a Canadian police uniform? Or a Boston lobster hat? That would really be something, huh? Last year I got him an Elvis shirt from Graceland and he seemed to enjoy that one. Well, let's hope they do not ask for full-size statues of John Candy in bronze or a 'Build Yourself A Washington Free Mason Temple Kit." I would rather prefer CDs, vinyl, books, etc. Father, are you reading this?"
"Axioma Ethica Odini" is scheduled for release in Norway on September 20, in the rest of Europe on September 27 and in North America on September 28. The CD's cover artwork was created by the Norwegian artist Truls Espedal, who has painted every ENSLAVED album cover since 2001's "Monumension".
"Axioma Ethica Odini" track listing:
01. Ethica Odini
02. Raidho
03. Waruun
04. The Beacon
05. Axioma
06. Giants
07. Singular
08. Night Sight
09. Lightening
"Axioma Ethica Odini" will be made available as a special edition in gatefold seven-inch format with the entire album on CD and a seven-inch vinyl single as a bonus, as well as a regular jewel case and double vinyl. The bonus seven-inch single will include the songs "Jotunblod (Doom)" and "Migration".
ENSLAVED's eleventh studio album was recorded at three different studios in Bergen, Norway: 1) Duper; 2) Earshot (belonging to ENSLAVED members Herbrand Larsen [keyboardist/backing vocalist] and Ice Dale [lead guitarist]); and 3) Peersonal Sound (owned by rhythm guitarist/songwriter Ivar Bjørnson). It is the follow-up to 2008's "Vertebrae", which sold over 1,100 copies its first week of release in North America and debuted on the American Billboard Hard Music chart at #11 and on the Billboard Heatseekers chart at #49. In ENSLAVED's native country, "Vertebrae" entered the official chart at #20 and earned the band its third consecutive Spellemann award (the largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show, which is often referred to as the country's equivalent to the American Grammy Awards). "Vertebrae" also won Terrorizer magazine's coveted "Album of the Year" award for 2008.
Greek extreme metallers ROTTING CHRIST will embark on a North American tour in March/April 2011. Support on the trek will come from MELECHESH, HATE, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and LECHEROUS NOCTURNE.
The dates are as follows:
Mar. 09 - Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
Mar. 10 - Championship Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ
Mar. 11 - Montage Music Hall - Rochester, NY
Mar. 12 - Rocko's - Manchester, NH
Mar. 13 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
Mar. 14 - Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
Mar. 15 - Petite Campus - Montreal, QC - CANADA
Mar. 16 - Mod Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
Mar. 17 - Blondie's - Detroit, MI
Mar. 18 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Mar. 19 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Mar. 20 - Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
Mar. 22 - The Republik - Calgary, AB - Canada
Mar. 23 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB - Canada
Mar. 25 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Mar. 26 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
Mar. 27 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 28 - Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
Mar. 29 - The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
Mar. 30 - Brick by Brick - San Diego, CA
Mar. 31 - U.B's Bar - Mesa, AZ
Apr. 01 - The War Legion Underground - Amarillo, TX
Apr. 02 - The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
Apr. 03 - Rail Club - Ft. Worth, TX
Apr. 04 - Emo's - Austin, TX
Apr. 05 - Walter's - Houston, TX
Apr. 07 - Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
Apr. 08 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Apr. 09 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
Apr. 10 - The Casbah - Charlotte, NC
Tickets are now available exclusively through EnterTheVault.com until October 6, at which point they will be made available through all normal ticketing outlets.
ROTTING CHRIST has added a special event VIP ticket for a pre-show meet-and-greet to take place one hour before doors. Each night, fans will get to meet and greet ROTTING CHRIST for a special event. Fans will also receive a customized poster to get signed by the band. These special VIP tickets are on sale now at EnterTheVault.com.
ROTTING CHRIST was recently forced to cancel a number of shows as a result of an accident involving guitarist/vocalist Sakis Tolis in which he sustained injuries to his leg that kept him glued to his bed for at least a month.
"Aealo", the new album from ROTTING CHRIST, sold around 400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 144 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Aealo" was recorded at Lunatach Studios in Katerini, Greece and features guest appearances by Greek-American vocalist Diamanda Galas and PRIMORDIAL frontman Alan A. Nemtheanga.
According to a press release, "Aealo" delves deeper than ever before into ROTTING CHRIST's Greek roots. Frontman Sakis Tolis explains: "'Aealo' is the transcription of an ancient Greek word into the Latin alphabet. It means thrashing, catastrophe or destruction and reflects the musical and lyrical content of the album.
"The concept of 'Aealo' deals with the feelings of a warrior during a battle, therefore the album's title bears this sense of anger, fear and grief."
Diamanda Galas makes an appearances on ROTTING CHRIST's cover version of "Orders from the Dead", from Galas' "Defixiones, Will and Testament" album, for which Sakis wrote new music.
DEMONICAL, the Swedish death metal band featuring past and present members from CENTINEX, GRAVE, REGURGITATE, INTERMENT, AMARAN, WORLD BELOW and DELLAMORTE, has entered Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden to begin recording its as-yet-untitled third album for an April 2011 release via Germany's Cyclone Empire Records. The CD will be supported by a full European headlining tour and several summer festival appearances.
"Baptized In Fire", the latest video from DEMONICAL, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media.
"Baptized In Fire" comes off DEMONICAL's second full-length album, "Hellsworn", which was released in May 2009. The follow-up to 2007's "Servants of the Unlight" was recorded at Necromorbus Studios (WATAIN, SETHERIAL) and was mastered at Black Lounge Studios.
DEMONICAL in 2008 announced the addition of Sverker "Widda" Widgren — also known for his guitar work with DIABOLICAL and as the co-owner of Necromorbus Studios — as the group's new full-time vocalist.
The band's debut album, "Servants of the Unlight", was released in April 2007 via Cyclone Empire.
Swedish death metallers SPASMODIC have just released their debut EP, "Carve Perfection", via Emrinc. The four-track effort is based on songs from SPASMODIC's 2009 self-released demo, also titled "Carve Perfection", and wasmixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory (F.K.Ü., SCARVE, ENEMY IS US).
The track listing is as follows:
01. Carve Perfection
02. Cutting Room
03. Snip Snip Sweetheart
04. Self Starvation
SPASMODIC is:
Vocals - Alexander Högbom
Guitar - Johan Haglund
Guitar - Johan Kvastegård
Bass - Tommy Haglund
Drums - Jimmy Holmgren
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/spasmodicsound.
Maryland-based death/black metallers AURORA BOREALIS have entered Nightsky Studios to begin recording their new album for a tentative early 2011 release. The CD, which is being produced by the band's guitarist/vocalist Ron Vento, will mark the recording debut of drummer Mark Green.
Video footage of the drum-tracking sessions can be viewed below.
AURORA BOREALIS' fourth album, "Relinquish", was released in 2006 on Nightsky Productions. The CD featured Tony Laureano (ANGELCORPSE, NILE, DIMMU BORGIR) on drums and had a running time of 37 minutes.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/auroraborealisofficial.
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